the thunder are doing just fine. They'll be perennial contenders for many years, and will very likely win at least one championship. We'll be just fine.

Losing in the second round to a very talented Grizzlies team when one of your star players - a top 5 player in the NBA, mind you - goes down injured is nothing to be sniffed at. But i'll let you guys keep thinking this is a victory for you.

That's the beauty of sports. Always some folks who want to make sports seem like epic life and death events. If you are a good story teller there may still be a place for you in sports journalism. I am more a meat and potatoes guy. This guy seems like Bob Costas.

I just love OKC and their fans enduring the small market blues. The tight fisted owner, doesn't want to keep the team together because he's making money, but not enough to you know, reinvest it in the team. Eventually Durant will get tired of fighting with Westbrook over shots, management's often incomprehensible fiddling, or lack there of, of the roster, and the totally mediocre coach. He'll leave for a better situation in time.

I love fans who haven't actually been through it, who have been gifted a winning team from the word go, bemoaning the agony of losing. Its all melodramatic bs because that's what they think being a sports fan is.

Btw, the team, the owner and the fans need to never complain about lack of money, or a financial disadvantage against big markets, or anything like that, this is the fans there wanted, this is how the game is played. They made your bed, sleep in it.

Ok, well we weren't gifted a winning team, we got a very bad team and were lucky enough to have a great GM who has drafter pretty well. First couple of years in OKC weren't great. I agree about the mediocre coach and possibly about the tight fisted owner, although he's already handed out 2 max deals, the Harden deal would have pushed them WAY over the luxury tax limit, plus Harden wanted starter minutes, and with Sefalosha, he wasn't going to get that. If Lamb pans out and the lottery pick from toronto comes good, then it will have been a good deal. Time will tell.

Football is not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that. ~ Bill Shankley

peachesenregalia wrote:Ok, well we weren't gifted a winning team, we got a very bad team and were lucky enough to have a great GM who has drafter pretty well. First couple of years in OKC weren't great. I agree about the mediocre coach and possibly about the tight fisted owner, although he's already handed out 2 max deals, the Harden deal would have pushed them WAY over the luxury tax limit, plus Harden wanted starter minutes, and with Sefalosha, he wasn't going to get that. If Lamb pans out and the lottery pick from toronto comes good, then it will have been a good deal. Time will tell.

BULLSHIT, you gutted the Sonics, got Durant in the first draft after purposely losing to get the books looking bad. You then had a number of high picks out of the gate. Yes the GM that was brought in from the Spurs is very good, but by no means were you handed a crap club, the savvy moves of the GM getting picks for Sonics players before tanking built your franchise in OKC. That savvy GM was a Sonics GM before a Thunder GM on paper. The closest thing I can compare it to is how the Bulls were built with Jordan and Pippen or the Spurs giving away the farm for the chance to get Robinson and then lucking into Duncan.

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.

peachesenregalia wrote:Ok, well we weren't gifted a winning team, we got a very bad team and were lucky enough to have a great GM who has drafter pretty well. First couple of years in OKC weren't great. I agree about the mediocre coach and possibly about the tight fisted owner, although he's already handed out 2 max deals, the Harden deal would have pushed them WAY over the luxury tax limit, plus Harden wanted starter minutes, and with Sefalosha, he wasn't going to get that. If Lamb pans out and the lottery pick from toronto comes good, then it will have been a good deal. Time will tell.

BULLSHIT, you gutted the Sonics, got Durant in the first draft after purposely losing to get the books looking bad. You then had a number of high picks out of the gate. Yes the GM that was brought in from the Spurs is very good, but by no means were you handed a crap club, the savvy moves of the GM getting picks for Sonics players before tanking built your franchise in OKC. That savvy GM was a Sonics GM before a Thunder GM on paper. The closest thing I can compare it to is how the Bulls were built with Jordan and Pippen or the Spurs giving away the farm for the chance to get Robinson and then lucking into Duncan.

Easy there, left-foot. I didn't do any of that. The Sonics had been sucking for a fair few years by the time they were bought. Not like we inhereted a contender right away. There's no such thing as a sure thing in the draft. Westbrook, Ibaka and Harden were all seen as risk picks, however all of them panned out. We weren't 'handed a contender'. Pull your heads out of your arseholes.

Football is not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that. ~ Bill Shankley

And the fact that we had the #2 pick to get Durant, had nothing to do with Bennett, the team was trash with a trash coach who we thought could take over for Nate McMillan, Howard Schultz practically knew nothing about basketball and I hate that man.

For the record, we were two years removed from a 50 win team that pushed the NBA champion Spurs to six games in the second round of the playoffs when Bennett took over the team. The cupboard wasn't that bare. It was a mediocre team that had one really bad year, Bennett buys the team, they get the number 2 slot in the lottery, get durant, clean house, play a couple growing pain years, bam, winners. Wasn't hard.

seahawk2k wrote:For the record, we were two years removed from a 50 win team that pushed the NBA champion Spurs to six games in the second round of the playoffs when Bennett took over the team. The cupboard wasn't that bare. It was a mediocre team that had one really bad year, Bennett buys the team, they get the number 2 slot in the lottery, get durant, clean house, play a couple growing pain years, bam, winners. Wasn't hard.

Even bigger picture? This team left Seattle and set off a chain reaction in two cities that still isn't resolved. We overlooked it because they turned into the most exciting, addictive roster in the NBA. Since then, the owner who moved them has refused to pay the luxury tax because he doesn't want to risk profits, even as his team's value has almost certainly appreciated by hundreds of millions of dollars. And so a team that seemed too good to be true 12 months ago has been stripped to its bare essentials. .....Biggest picture? Last year, the Thunder were the team you could point to if you wanted to make someone fall in love with the NBA.

This year, the Thunder turned into a team that embodies everything that should make someone cynical about loving the NBA.

I'm sick of chasing after my dreams. I'm just going to find out where they're headed, and catch up with them later.
- Mitch Hedberg

Even bigger picture? This team left Seattle and set off a chain reaction in two cities that still isn't resolved. We overlooked it because they turned into the most exciting, addictive roster in the NBA. Since then, the owner who moved them has refused to pay the luxury tax because he doesn't want to risk profits, even as his team's value has almost certainly appreciated by hundreds of millions of dollars. And so a team that seemed too good to be true 12 months ago has been stripped to its bare essentials. .....Biggest picture? Last year, the Thunder were the team you could point to if you wanted to make someone fall in love with the NBA.

This year, the Thunder turned into a team that embodies everything that should make someone cynical about loving the NBA.

That is truly an amazing thing. I was worried they had a strong owner, coach and gm. It seems they have none of them. Buoyed by Durant and Westbrook this team has SAC/NO/MIL in it's future.

4/27/13 - I was there #humblethug"He looked like a bad man," Sherman said, "and I knew we were alright."

Man, it was exciting to be a Sonics fan in the 90's. We had that core of Kemp & Peyton, future HOF'ers. Every piece surrounding them was perfect. Played their own unique style of ball. They had some growing pains in the playoffs, but then put together that great run into the Finals.Tough draw - having to face the the best player in the game and all. That loss hurt ... but at least we knew we'd be back. Everything was clicking with that team, and their window HAD to be open for at least a few more seasons.

Of course, things just crumbled away. Team gambled on some big stiffs and got stuck with some horrible contracts. Ownership started caring more about the bottom line. Nickel & Dimed the role players at contract time and tried to replace them with cheaper versions. A lot of those guys were talented, but just couldn't recapture that same chemistry the original group had. Eventually the core imploded and the window slammed shut before we even realized it.

But yeah ... that's such a crazy, improbable scenario. I mean, there's no way that could happen to another team, right?

I'm sick of chasing after my dreams. I'm just going to find out where they're headed, and catch up with them later.
- Mitch Hedberg

vedthree wrote:Man, it was exciting to be a Sonics fan in the 90's. We had that core of Kemp & Peyton, future HOF'ers. Every piece surrounding them was perfect. Played their own unique style of ball. They had some growing pains in the playoffs, but then put together that great run into the Finals.Tough draw - having to face the the best player in the game and all. That loss hurt ... but at least we knew we'd be back. Everything was clicking with that team, and their window HAD to be open for at least a few more seasons.

Of course, things just crumbled away. Team gambled on some big stiffs and got stuck with some horrible contracts. Ownership started caring more about the bottom line. Nickel & Dimed the role players at contract time and tried to replace them with cheaper versions. A lot of those guys were talented, but just couldn't recapture that same chemistry the original group had. Eventually the core imploded and the window slammed shut before we even realized it.

But yeah ... that's such a crazy, improbable scenario. I mean, there's no way that could happen to another team, right?

Who's saying it couldn't happen? Stop being a muppet.

Football is not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that. ~ Bill Shankley

The Thunder and their "fans" are a joke. Five years from now when this team falls apart and they are fighting for an 8th seed or a lottery pick, their arena will be half full and none of the "fans" will care.

I understand that you are a thunder fan peaches, but coming into this thread to argue seems kinda silly and pointless. you can't really expect Sonics fans to feel the same way as you do can you? Its just one of those threads that you might want to steer clear of.

Don't forget that some of us felt bad for yourself and some of the other thunder fans last year when the thunder was knocked out of the finals while we were also happy to see them lose.

Msfann wrote:I understand that you are a thunder fan peaches, but coming into this thread to argue seems kinda silly and pointless. you can't really expect Sonics fans to feel the same way as you do can you? Its just one of those threads that you might want to steer clear of.

Don't forget that some of us felt bad for yourself and some of the other thunder fans last year when the thunder was knocked out of the finals while we were also happy to see them lose.

Just clearing up a few misconceptions is all.

Hawkfan77, you're dreaming, my friend.

Football is not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that. ~ Bill Shankley

I really don't have a feel for the Western Finals, the Spurs have been clicking and are vets but they started the play-offs a little busted up but if the big three starts are clicking they are tough to beat. I imagine this will be a gritty series though but Spurs are probably taking the first game. Memphis seems to defend the old pick and roll really well, going to be interesting.

peachesenregalia wrote:Fair do's, I apologize. Didn't mean to call names. I took issue with his implication that me or any other poster was saying that what happened to Seattle couldn't happen to OKC.

I understand your frustration with us Sonics fans and would imagine it sucks to hear your situation mocked. Same with Kings fans. Time is the only thing that I see that is going to allow the emotions to subside (that and all our deaths).

peachesenregalia wrote:Fair do's, I apologize. Didn't mean to call names. I took issue with his implication that me or any other poster was saying that what happened to Seattle couldn't happen to OKC.

I understand your frustration with us Sonics fans and would imagine it sucks to hear your situation mocked. Same with Kings fans. Time is the only thing that I see that is going to allow the emotions to subside (that and all our deaths).

No, not Death, epitaph on Tomb Stone, "Will be waiting for you here in Hell Bennett,Schultz and Stern"

To Be P/C or Not P/C That is the Question..........Seahawks kick Ass !!!! Check your PM's, Thank you for everything Radish RIP My Friend. Member of the 38 club.